Problem: Priority health-risk behaviors, which are behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among youth and adults, often are established during childhood and adolescence, extend into adulthood, and are interrelated and preventable. Reporting Period Covered: September 2008-December 2009. Description of the…

Whether in health, in education, or in material well-being, some children will always fall behind the average. The critical question is -- how far behind? Is there a point beyond which falling behind is not inevitable but policy susceptible, not unavoidable but unacceptable, not inequality but inequity? There are no widely agreed theoretical…

One-third of the population of US children is considered obese and two-thirds of the adult population falls into the same category. These figures have tripled over the last 30 years. This demonstrates that the existing strategies to combat obesity do not work and it is time to look for alternatives. The recommendation is to turn the problem into a…

Nearly half of youths between the ages of 12 and 21 are not vigorously active on a regular basis. In order to meet national health objectives for youths, schools need to promote opportunities for physical activity. Physical educators are qualified to develop a comprehensive physical activity program that engages both students and staff and that…

Accurate measurement of physical activity is fundamentally important in epidemiological research of physical activity behavior. A widely used telephone-based physical activity questionnaire was compared with other methods of administration and objective measures (pedometers and accelerometers) among 80 adults (43 women). The telephone…

Limited data are available on the contributory and compensatory relationships between physical education and physical activity in children. Four hundred eighty-five (280 girls) children in first through sixth grades wore sealed pedometers during waking hours, including normally scheduled physical education lessons. The least, moderately, and most…

Seven teachers failed to differentiate accurately among 28 students who demonstrated high and low levels of actual motor activity. (CL)

Explored potential sex differences in all activity spontaneously emitted by newborns. Subjects were 14 uncircumcised males and 15 females. The pattern or results indicated that even uncircumcised males may be slightly more irritable than females, and thus more active. (Author/JMB)

Reports a study of 25 boys between three and five years of age which examined two questions: Do children have preferences for specific activities? Do activity levels differ when observations are made between activities during a free choice period? (BR/BD)

The effects of a five-day-a-week, moderate-intensity aerobic training program were studied in previously sedentary middle-aged women. After 10 weeks of graduated-length sessions of continuous exercise, the subjects showed a 20 percent improvement in maximal oxygen uptake but no change in body weight or composition. Results are discussed.…

This study examined the effects of activity or passivity on children's ability to remember and identify word pairs. Results are discussed, and implications are developed. (Author/MT)

Studies the effects of playroom deprivation on self-motion play, or peragration, for rhesus monkeys of ages 24 to 36 weeks. (Author/SS)

Examined the relationship of physical activity level and length of time of adherence to physical activity with physical activity identity (PAI) and physical activity self-efficacy (PASE). Surveys of 409 adult university employees indicated that vigorous activity related to higher PAI and PASE scores, and activity level contributed significantly…

Evaluated the advertising content contained in physical activity print materials. Analysis of print materials obtained from 80 sources (e.g., physicians' offices and fitness events) indicated that most materials contained some form of advertising. Materials coming from commercial product vendors generally contained more advertising than materials…